William Ruto, Kenya’s deputy president, has been proclaimed the winner of the tight presidential race against Raila Odinga, a five-time candidate. This is a victory for the guy who upended politics by appealing to poor Kenyans on economic grounds rather than conventional ethnic ones.
The deputy head of the electoral commission and three other commissioners, however, warned journalists they could not support the “opaque nature” of the final phase just before the declaration, which caused pandemonium. Vice chair Juliana Cherera added, “We cannot assume responsibility of the conclusion that will be announced. Police rushed into the declaration site amid yelling to enforce quiet.
Minutes after Odinga’s top agent said they couldn’t check the results and made claims of “electoral violations” without providing any context or supporting documentation, the committee abruptly broke. Odinga skipped the location of the declaration.
Kenyans are now waiting to see if Odinga will re-file a lawsuit to challenge the outcome of Tuesday’s peaceful election in a nation critical to regional stability. This is perhaps the 77-year-old opposition leader’s final attempt, who is being supported this time by his erstwhile adversary and outgoing president Uhuru Kenyatta, who had a falling out with his deputy, Ruto, years earlier.